Saturday, July 23, 2011

First off, I am finding out that more and more folks are actually reading this blog, that makes me happy. I have no way of know unless you happen to be a follower. Anyway feel free to leave a comment and say hello so I know you're reading as well. Thanx!!!

TODAYS ADVENTURE!!!

I wont tell you about.... Well not the details anyway, just incase my plan goes terribly wrong I won't have to come back and tell y'all "Well.. it didn't go quite as I expected..." NO! I will leave everyone in the dark, And So when I return, accomplished or not, I can tell y'all that everything went exactly as I planned. BUT I will say my adventure has to do with a long bike ride to another city.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Night Markets in Taiwan are Huge! They occur Every Night and so are one of the most common ways to spend time with friends. They are usually blocks and blocks of food and clothing vendors crowded with thousands of people. Taipei city must have about 10 markets that I have heard of, and I know there must be more. Then each city throughout Taiwan has they're own night market. When I played Bike Polo in Taizhong two weeks ago, we ended the night off at they're largest night market where we got food and beers and just hung out people watching.
A few weeks ago my cycling friends took me to the Shida Night Market that is about a 10 minute walk from my house. It was the first Night Market I had been to in Taiwan. There they introduced me to my now favorite food in the world, I could eat this every night. Its called 冰火菠蘿油 Bīng huǒ bōluó yóu, it means "cold, hot pineapple butter" Its the greatest!!! Warm bread topped with crystallized pineapple sugar and sandwiched inside is sweet cold butter! It might not sound that good, but it is the best thing I have ever eaten. I go back to Shida night market each week just to go to that stand and get one. In other news, tomorrow is mid-terms... I feel confident that I will do just fine. I have seen my language abilities improve leaps and bounds since being here these last 6 weeks. I excited to see how much I can improve within the next 6 weeks till I move to Nanjing, and then to see in one year once I make it back to the States, I should be speaking like a native. School is over in 4 weeks, and I am starting to plan my intended cycling trip to the Southern tip of the island. So now I have been asking people who have some experience cycling round Taiwan about what I can expect, but more of that later.

About Me

My name is Brendan Allen. I am a student at San Francisco State University where I major in Mandarin Chinese as well as Geography. I am currently bumming around Europe on my bike. Going from city to city looking for people to play Biek Polo with. In the end I will make it to Geneva to play in the World Bike Polo Championships.